 |
|
Gargoyle - 2003 |
What are ChipScapesTM?
The simplest way to explain my art form is to say that they are pictures of
computer chips. Sometimes they are images of the whole chip, sometimes just a
part of it, and sometimes they may be of many chips on a circuit board.
Describing my artwork has been a challenge. I have thought of these images as
sort of microscopic chip landscapes, so the term ChipScapesTM
was born.
Chips are not large. The smallest are about the size of the head of a pin,
the largest about the size of quarter. Most of the subjects of my art are not
visible with the naked eye and require a microscope to capture their images. The
enlargement of the subjects on my 16”x20” prints can be up to 1,000-2,000 times.
I create my art by taking digital photographs of the chips. Starting with these
photographs, and sometimes I use more than one, I digitally retouch the
photographs to bring interest to the final piece. They are a form of visual
artistic representation, a new form made possible by the latest digital
technologies. The things that can be done in digital media make it hard to
classify them in a classical sense. If pressed, I would say they are
photographs.
People are often struck by the beauty that is hidden in these little devices.
The lines, shapes, textures, and colors that are found in these silicon chips
create interesting patterns. One design might have a very modern look with
smooth lines and ethereal backgrounds. Others may be very primitive with rough
textures and geometric shapes. I enjoy gazing at chips, as I do clouds, just for
the fun of finding interesting shapes and designs.
I prefer to use some of the earliest chips for my subjects. Compared to today’s
Intel Pentium chips, the early chips were small, but the designs on the chips
were relatively large. This may seem odd, but it is very true. These early
designs are much more interesting since there is a lot of variation in them. In
the early seventies, before the IBM PC, chips designs were not standardized.
There was tremendous creativity in chip designs and hence provides lots of
material for my art.
Are These the Natural Colors of Chips?
What is a Computer Chip?
How are Chips made?
About the Artist
|
